Interview with Ralf "Valthor" Brandstätter, guitarist and vocalist of the band

Since 1999 you have released 4 CDs ...are you a band that love composing
songs?

You can name it that way. It is a great felling to compose music and after a time you can hear the product. It is very good for my mind to produce songs. When I do this I am in my own world and I can tell everything I want - it helps me to stand up every day.

What can you tell me about "Northman"?

The CD "Northman" was recorded on an eight track demo-machine, in cause we have not enough money for a real studio - but it is very good produced for a demo. Every body tells it to us. I would say, that sounds like Teutonic War Metal. The Fans tell us also, that this CD is the best we have ever made.

How would you compare "Northman" with the previous CD "Destination Day"?

"Destination Day" was more epic than "Northman". The new one is very aggressive. In cause of "Northman" "Destination Day" is a kind of -best of-of our first two CDs "Thoughts Of Glory" and "By The Gods". Our thirst two demos contains very good songs, but with a poor production. So we thought it would be a good idea, to record them again with a better production plus three new songs (Destination Day, The Burning Force and Banished In Hel). After all, "Destination Day" was the best selled CD - until "Northman". In this time "Northman" is out, it was much more buied than "Destination Day". Also the people who got the "Northman" and have´nt got our other albums want to get them. Through this way, I would like to thank them! They give us the power to ride on.

What do you think of your first CD "Thoughts of Glory"?

Well, you can hear that it was our first CD. But after all I think, that there are very good songs on it like For Glory or The Power Of Steel. It was produced by Michael Kackl. He was a big star in Austria in the year 1998 with 3 or 4 number one songs in the hit parade. But he was no metal producer and that can you hear on this CDs. Everybody says, that "Thougts Of Glory" is just cult.

Is the use of german and english lyrics the Valhalla trademark (at least
lyrically)?

Oh, I don´t think so. There are great bands like Sodom who have done the same.

With german lyrics you can tell better aggression than in english - that is why we put this solution. It is also my motherlanguage and it was very interesting to produce songs which are sung german.

Are all the compositions in the band made by Valthor or do the other
members participate too?

In the past I was the only one who wrote the songs, but since "Northman" Eldric have dicovered his talent to write songs. So there are also songs on the new CD which were written by me and him. I think since we have done that, the Valhalla sound gets a fresh air.

Are you trying to find a label to release your music or do you prefer to
work independently?

We try to get a deal. In the meantime we negotiate with an Austrian label called CCP. We hope, that we get a deal - that would be a great step in our history! Than we have also the chance to use a good studio and our songs would sound much better. It would be also better to get live-gigs. It is hard to promote your music by your own. It is difficult to get the right connections.

Are you presenting the music of "Northman" live?

Sure we did! But not only the songs from "Northman". When we have a concert and we are the main act we play around 15 songs with two additions. That takes around two hours. We also include covers. The most time we play following cover songs: AC/DC - Highway To Hell, Bathory - Sacrifice, Manowar - Metal Warriors, Sodom - Der Wachturm and from Judas Priest - Grinder.

You know, live sounds good when you have a good PA. But that costs a lot of money and we have not very much. So it is always great when we can play on a bigger festival or something like that, than our music sounds, as it should be.

After our concerts the fans tell us, that Valhalla have a strange power in the music and that we play Heavy Metal in a great, thrilling way. That is something, which let our metal hearts pound faster and stronger.

Are you planning to add a fourth member to the band or are you
comfortable with the trio format?

It would be great if we would be 4 or 5 members. It would be good for the live show, because sometimes the keyboards are missing. We are a trio, because I just know three persons in our environment who have the strength to play our music. When you are a part of Valhalla, Valhalla has to be the number one in your life. Also you have to have the right engagement and after all, it is not easy to play with me in a band, when you haven't the right mental attitude.

Why is the cover art in "Destination Day" different in style to the ones
from the other CDs?

The cover was made by Bernhard Kast. I thought it would be good, to make a spiritual cover for the name "Destination Day". When you remember it, you see a wide open sea and in the middle of it the sign of our band. It means that the day of determination has arrived. Imagine: A northern warrior look out to the sea, because soon he will be at war again, and there are thousands of thoughts in his mind. I mean thoughts at his family, why he is marching to war and it is also possible that he will fall. Than he will be at Valhalla, but who will be there for his family. "Destination Day" should show and tell these twilight thoughts.

What are the Valhalla lyrics about?

The songs act about, as the name says already, predominantly around Viking-lyrics. To say it short: The lyrics dealings with honour, glory, loss and death. Whereby however each individual song tells an other history and from an other viewpoint.

How do you see the Austrian metal scene ?

In Austria the real Heavy Metal scene is very small. There are people who listen to Metal because it is cool. So they wear black clothes, black hair and say: Oh yes - I am wild. Fuck them! Metal is not just music, it is a way you live your life. When their „metal time" is over, they listen to Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears. I don't want to say that this is a poor music, everybody should listen to the music he or she likes, but from these people came the sentence: Metal is dead. Heavy Metal isn't dead and it never will be!

About Austrian bands you have to say, that many people say, if you don't come from Vienna you cannot play metal. Sounds strange, but that is the way it is. But there are also great bands who hold the Banner of Heavy Metal high with us, like Hrosshargrani!

But it is sad to see, that when we have a metal festival in Austria, you can be happy if you have 10% of the visitors of german festivals.

Something more to add?

Metalheads unite - world wide!

Interviewed by Federico Marongiu

By the Gods - CD (2000)

Destination Day - CD (2000)

Northman - CD (2001)

Ralf Valthor Brandstätter - vocals, guitars and keyboards

Martin Eldric Kainbrecht - backing vocals and bass

Daniel Atanos Konrad - drums